Atkins Diets

There is hardly a person in the United States who would say, "What?" when you said, "Atkins diets." It started in the 1970s, but didn't really take off until about 20 years later. Now it seems that everywhere you go supermarkets and grocery stores are offering low carb options for the carb conscious. Even foods that were seemingly carbs at the core such as bread, pasta, crackers, and cookies now have low carb counterparts.

Millions of people have done Atkins diets and seen wonderful results. Some of you are curious and don't really know what it's all about. Well, it begins with a two-week induction phase where you pretty much don't eat any carbs. To start the diet properly, you must limit your intake of carbs to 20 grams a day. These carb grams can only come from salad and other vegetables that aren't full of starch.

Most people see quick weight loss if they strictly stick to the induction phase. People are usually thrilled to get onto the next of four total phases in Atkins diets. Phase Two is Ongoing Weight Loss, or the cute acronym OWL. This is where you will add five grams of carbs per week to your diet in order for the weight loss to remain steady. This does not mean add a donut hole each week. It means adding things with lots of nutrients and lots of fiber.

Keeping Up Atkins Diets

The last two phases are Pre-Maintenance and Lifetime Maintenance. As the third phase suggests, you will add 10 grams of healthy carbs per week until the desired weight is maintained. This allows you to know exactly how many grams of carbs you should be consuming. Finally, in stage four, your food options open up to a wider range. You will choose what you like from those in order to keep your peace of mind and goal weight.